COLLEGE STATION, Texas – For Blane Counsil, Thursday will be a profound moment in time.
“There is various points through history that actually brings us all together as people and brings us all together as citizens of this country and I believe this is one of them,” he said.
Thursday will be a snapshot in the lives of Counsil and his good friend Will Strickland. The images from the day will forever be a part of them. As the years pass they will reflect with pride, proud of how they served as members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, “Thank God it’s on film, one day that you can show your kids and say, 'Yeah, I was part of that. I was a part of this moment in history,'” says Strickland.
Counsil and Strickland are two of the approximate 2,500 young men and women who serve in the Corp of Cadets. As in the case of first lady Barbara Bush’s funeral this past spring, they will have a desired role in Thursday’s ceremony in College Station, “We wanted to be able to honor him and pay homage to his life and show our respect for the individual who did so much for our university,” said Counsil.
For Strickland the day will be unmatched to any other during his time at A&M. “It definitely ranks at the top of everything that I’ve ever done at this university.”
Counsil’s role will be far different than the vast majority within the Corp of Cadets as as result of his enrollment at The Bush School, “I will actually be with a group of Bush School students who are actually going to be allowed to greet the former president's body as he is actually unloaded at the train platform.”
While the focus is to serve and honor, Strickland admits there will be heavy hearts standing at attention, “It’s going to be sadness, that we lost someone that loves our university so much that cares about the organization I’m in so much.”